


He Who Keeps His Eyes on the Sun

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Gore, Brotherly Angst, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Episode: s03e21 Same As It Never Was, Hysterical Blindness, Implied/Referenced Torture, Imprisonment, Interrogation, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2187438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are the thing I was missing,<br/>The one thing I couldn't find,<br/>And yet I wouldn't give you up,<br/>Even if I ended up blind.</p><p> </p><p>  <span class="small">Same As It Never Was Universe: How Leo obtained his facial scars and blindness.<span class="small"></span></span></p>
            </blockquote>





	He Who Keeps His Eyes on the Sun

_The greatest patience is to keep silent while your heart is marked with a thousand scars,_

_And the greatest power is to smile while your eyes are flooded with an ocean of tears_.

 

It had been eighteen days, Leonardo realized, turning his face toward the vacuum of darkness surrounding him. He couldn’t see anything; when Shredder’s Foot Gestapo had captured him, he had been thrown into this black abyss and he hadn’t been able to see anything since.

It hadn’t really mattered, Leo reminded himself, a short laugh emerging as a wheeze as he struggled to lift his numb, chained wrists. Seeing and sensing were two very different things and he had been able to ‘sense’ the weapons of torture used by his interrogators just fine.

Every morning—at least, what Leo considered might be morning—they would arrive: four Foot soldiers flanking the Shredder. Their lord and master had demanded that he be the personal torture master for the leader of the turtles. His questions were the same every day:

“How many have joined your rebellion?”

“What have you been told of my future plans?”

“Where is your base of operations?”

“Where are your brothers hiding? Where are they? Are they dead? Are you the last? Where are they? _Where are they?_ ”...

Leo had taken all punishment without a word—the repetitive beatings, electrocution, branding, drowning—He could tell Shredder was desperate and that gave him strength to keep his howling wordless and his pain fresh, reminding himself that he was alive.

At last managing to raise his right wrist off the ground, Leo bent his head and bit his arm harshly, using his teeth to carve XVII, ‘eighteen’, into his skin. Another day to rag his brothers about once they rescued him. Leo hadn’t lost his hope that they would. They were in his thoughts almost every moment and he knew, even if his consideration were the only reason, that they would rescue him.

He often sent telepathic messages to them, wondering if they were ever in meditation and could hear him.

_Donnie, I miss you. We need you. Please come back._

_Mikey, keep your chin up. I’m doing the same for you._

_Raph, get your butt in here and save me. Play the hero like you always used to...please!_

Leo’s head jerked up when the door to his prison opened. A familiar, powerful hand seized Leo’s throat and propelled him back against the wall, making him yelp and struggle feebly.

“Where is your base of operations, worm?!” Shredder hissed, squeezing so forcefully that the bones in Leo’s neck shuddered. “ _Tell me!_ ”

That means the resistance had scored a weighty hit, Leo thought in satisfaction as his eyes started to roll back in his head. Shredder wouldn’t let him pass out so easily, however, pulling him away from the wall and slamming him into it once more to make him alert.

“ _WHERE ARE THEY?! TELL ME THEIR PLAN!_ ”

Bowing his head, Leo drew in a breath laced in thick blood.

“Yes?” The warlord leaned in, a wicked sneer on his lips as he squeezed Leo’s neck one more time in triumph.

Leo’s head lifted again and he allowed the Shredder to perceive that he too was smiling, right before Leo spat the blood in his throat on Shredder’s face.

His captor roared, his right arm gauntlet ejecting his deadly hand claws. Viciously he slammed them down upon Leo’s head, making the turtle scream as the blades raked into his flesh. He pressed them deeper, further, seeming intent on killing his captive, and then abruptly eased, withdrawing his hands to wipe away the blood on his cheeks. Impassively he watched Leo writhe on the ground, sobbing wretchedly and pressing his hands against the gaping gashes that spilled blood down his face and neck.

Leo wasn’t sure when or even if the Shredder left; all he could hear was the rapid, thready pulse of his heartbeat as he labored to recover from what had just happened. The turtle lay quivering in a position that was as close to fetal as he could achieve while chained up, his hands remaining on his face with the glue of shock and blood.

Giddiness seized him, followed by the semi-conscious alarm in his head that meant a blackout was approaching. He released a shallow breath, closing his eyes in gratitude as even deeper darkness lapped greedily at his traumatized senses.

At length he returned to excruciating awareness, a faraway crash stirring his interest. He strained his ears and heard a series of shouts, most in fear but one in fury.

That bellow of rage sounded vaguely familiar. Leo shifted slightly, trying to crawl closer to the door but failing. Nevertheless he caught snippets of foul language and—was that someone calling him?

_“Leonardo! Where are you?!”_

Hope fluttered in Leo’s chest, washing coolly over his wounds and dulling the throb just a little. Could it be?

The door burst open, startling Leo, mostly because he had expected bright light. The outside hallway must be as dark as his cell, Leo thought fleetingly as he heard a body being thrown into the wall on his right.

“Leo!” Three strong, dirty fingers wrapped around his, prying them away from his eyes. “Bro, do you recognize me? Please, please, _please_ recognize me.”

Leo’s eyes twitched, trying to focus on the face he sensed in front of him but finding nothing in the darkness. Despite that, he _knew_ the voice! He knew he shouldn’t dare to hope. It was probably an auditory vision, a hallucinogenic the Foot had given to him while he was unconscious, so he had to keep his mouth shut—

“ _Raafphelll_...?” Leo wheezed out something that was supposed to be his brother’s name, his voice cracking between each syllable after so many days of disuse.

“Yeh, it’s me, Leo, I’m here, I’m right here!” Raph burst out in utter relief. Leo gasped as he was hauled forward and cradled against his younger brother’s chest. The sharp breath sent him into a harsh coughing fit and Raph loosened his hold, putting his attention to the task of working Leo’s bonds.

Leo wanted to know how they had found him. He tried to ask, but Raph’s tight embrace had set all of his wounds on fire and all he could utter was “ _Hnngh_...”

“It’s okay, I’m getting you outta here—Oh, what’ve they done to your face?!” Raph agonized as the lock on the left wrist clamp finally clicked. “You didn’t come home,” Raph stated unnecessarily as he turned toward the right clamp. “We thought you were dead!”

“’m s-sorr—”

“I’d be sore too,” Raph agreed, not realizing Leo had been trying to say ‘I’m sorry’. As soon as the right cuff clicked, Raph leaned forward, slipping his arms beneath Leo’s and drawing him upward. Leo’s knees buckled uncontrollably beneath him and he blinked his eyes repetitively, still unable to see.

“Leo, you _have_ to stand,” Raph urged. “There’re more Foot soldiers on the way and I can’t carry you; I have to fight them. Master Splinter and Mikey can’t hold ’em all off by themselves.”

Leo’s heart burst with joy at their family’s names, but he understood the urgency of the situation. Releasing his grip on Raph’s neck, he staggered forward, almost doubled over as he spread his hands out for something to use as support.

Raph apparently couldn’t stand watching him struggle like that. “Alright, fine, Fearless, take my hand and let’s get out already!”

Leo swung an arm toward Raph’s voice and his knuckles bumped Raph’s lower plastron. Raph took ahold of his hand gently but securely and led him forward. Leo yipped as his shoulder hit the heavy metal door they passed but that small sting was soon forgotten when he smacked his head on the low ceiling.

Hearing him cry out, Raph looked over his shoulder, scolding in dismay, “Leo, why didn’t you duck?! You can obviously see the roof’s lower here!”

Leo couldn’t answer and couldn’t see. What was wrong? Wasn’t there supposed to be a light approaching? The high sun warming his face as soon as he was led out into the open? Panic began bubbling in his gut, held at bay only by the pain he felt as he slammed into the walls of narrow corridors, stumbling every few steps and clinging to Raph’s hand as tightly as he could in his weak state.

He felt dirt under his feet and heard the sounds of battle from some yards away. “There they are,” Raph announced, releasing Leo’s hand so he could most likely point toward their family. The panic set in then. He did indeed feel the sun on his skin, but there was no light, only the sickening blackness that had enveloped him for so long. One moment he was swaying and the next he was on his knees.

Raph was crouching down in front of him in an instant, cursing fearfully. “Leo! I’m sorry, I thought—no, I _didn’t_ think. That was stupid of me to let go. You’re too weak right now, aren’tcha? Let me help you up.”

“ _Ikaant_ —” Leo choked, pressing a hand against his aching chest. Finally realizing that it wouldn’t do anything for the agony, he stretched his hand out and found Raph’s face, brushing his fingers over it as he managed to speak semi-coherently.

“Raph...can’t...see.”

“What d’you mean, I can’t see?!” Raph demanded, batting his hand away. “Sure, I’ve only got one eye, but I can see just fine outta—” His breath caught in his throat and Leo winced as his bruised fingers were pressed suddenly between Raph’s. “Leo,” Raph croaked out, sounding as though he were the one who hadn’t spoken in eighteen days. “You’re _blind_?”

When he heard it voiced, Leo felt something break deep inside him, something the Shredder and his torture experts had never been able to reach. He ought to congratulate Raph, who had just broken it with two words. For now, though, Leo lapsed back into strangled silence, staring into the darkness.

Could this really be called a rescue when it wasn’t—would _never_ be—an escape?


End file.
